Channeling Your Inner Willy Wonka at Chamberlain’s Chocolate Factory

If the very mention of chocolate makes your child grin as wide as mine does, than consider organizing an outing with friends, or even a birthday party, at Chamberlain’s Chocolate Factory. Big A and her friends were truly kids in a candy store (ha..couldn’t help myself) on our afternoon play date. While creating and indulging in chocolaty treats was the highlight for the Little Foodies, I appreciated the brief and age-appropriate educational lesson about the origins of chocolate, and the tasting to compare and contrast different chocolates before the kids got their hands (literally) dirty.

Chocolate Finger Painting

After listening to owner Anne Stroer’s introduction, and identifying any potential food allergies among the little chocolatiers-in-training (have no fear if your kiddo has a peanut-allergy or gluten-intolerance), the Little Foodies got to fill balloon molds with white chocolate to make lollipops. After some time in the freezer, the kids were thrilled to finger paint their lollipops with colored chocolate in shared paint palettes (this is the portion of the program where germaphobe, neurotic mothers should pop a Xanax).

Chocolate “Pizza”—Hold the Anchovies

Seriously though, everything is kept meticulously clean, and Anne is smart to dole out the toppings for the second project, chocolate pizza, so there is no double dipping of sticky hands in jars of gummy bears and M&Ms. She has plenty of experience and common sense to ration the younger ones so that their pizzas don’t turn into ridiculous, cavity-inducing mountains of candy.

An Oreo Snack

The final project: creating chocolate-dipped Oreos with sprinkles, which all the Little Foodies were allowed to devour on the spot. If you think it’s possible to delay their gratification completely until after dinner, think again. Apparently satiated by the cookies, the Little Foodies meandered through the store to pick out all of the interestingly molded creations they wanted to take home. This might be one occasion where a “you break it, you buy it” policy won’t bother you, as you can indulge in the delicious bits and pieces at night once the Little Foodies crash from their sugar highs.

Take Home Bag of Goodies

Field Trips-$8.95 a person (8 to 40 participants); 45-60 minutes

Birthday Parties-$185 for 8 children ($12 for each additional); 90 minutes

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What a nice write-up about a terrific find in Norcross. Next time though I think the little foodies should stay home and their mommys and daddys can partake in one of the adult chocolate and wine events there…